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The War of the Worlds (British television miniseries, episode 1)
|season=1 |number=1 |image= |imagewidth= |airdate=October 28, 2019 |writer=Peter Harkness |director= |previous= - |next=Episode 2 }} This is the first episode of the BBC's The War of the Worlds mini-series. Plot After the classic opening narration plays over desolate shots of Mars a massive explosion erupts from the planet's surface launching the first Martian sphere into space. On Earth Amy and George see the plume of smoke through Ogilvy's telescope which Ogilvy compares to those seen during the 1894 and 1898 oppositions. He then gives them a photo of Mars and welcomes them to the neighbourhood. The couple return to Lynton Cottage as as the object leaves Mars and continues its course through space. At multiple points the people of Woking are seen to shun the couple. The next day George goes to work at the London Daily Chronicle where he is assigned to general research on the recent Dogger Bank Incident until he explains that his brother Fred works in the Admiralty and may have insider information. After a speech on proclaiming "Anglo-Saxon" racial superiority and the might of the Empire, Fred steps up to answer questions. At his brother's request Fred visits Lynton Cottage but only to urge George to leave Amy and return to his estranged wife Lucy. Later on the house is shaken and Amy and George run out to see the smoke trail of the first sphere. Having investigated during the night Ogilvy calls Stent, the Royal Astronomer, and leads both Amy and George to the forest of Horsell Common where the meteor had landed. George then takes a photo before returning to the newspaper to report his findings by train as the Telegraph lines are down. However the Editor reveals that the Lord who owns the paper has essentially blacklisted George at which point he quits. During this time a group of people have arrived to help dig out the meteor. When Ogilvy touches it with his trowel the ground suddenly shakes and the meteor begins to expand and slowly crack open. Shortly afterwards Stent arrives with several policemen and takes charge of the site. While George is in London begging Lucy for a divorce, a crowd has gathered to see the excavation and Ogilvy notices a clockwork ticking sound from within the sphere. It isn't long before the police are having to hold people back and a large chunk of rock breaks off, exposing the slick black surface beneath. Touching the object leaves a layer of thick black oil on Stent's hand at which point it reacts to his touch, shedding its casing and spinning into the air. It's only when Stent and several others burst into flame that the crowd begins to panic and run. Though the sphere eventually disintegrates the ground below continues to rumble. After the stampede Amy and George find each other in search of their maid's sister Jane unpon finding her the second sphere flys through the air, landing in a lake in Byfleet. While looking for Ogilvy the next day George discovers that a unit of the West Surrey Artillery has cordoned off the Common but that the incident is being treated as a simple forest fire. Jane instead looks in the Observatory where she finds 10 eruption photos of Mars left be Ogilvy marked as the 4th, 5th, 6th, ?, 9th, 10th and 11th of May. Post invasion London showing crystalline growths, a ruined tripod and Amy sheltering in a cemetery/refugee camp with George Jr. Gallery bbc war of the worlds episode 1 opening1.png bbc war of the worlds episode 1 opening2.png bbc war of the worlds episode 1 opening3.png bbc war of the worlds episode 1 opening4.png bbc war of the worlds episode 1 opening5.png Video Note: This video is shorter than the BBC release and strangely includes extra lines of dialogue.Category:Episodes